Which is the most difficult U.K bird to photograph?
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- Опубликовано: 10 мар 2023
- I ponder the question of which is the most difficult bird to photograph in the U.K.
The Bittern used to be difficult, but today they get photographed at a number of U.K reserves, but I come up with four others that are common, but hard to get good images of. Jack snipe, Quail, Lesser whitethroat and Cettis warbler are all contenders.
The Bittern I filmed at the Lee Valley Country Park on the North side of London using the Lumix GH6 and the OM 150-400mm lens. It is a good place to see Bitterns, but it is a waiting game.
Mike Lane wildlife photography www.nature-photography.co.uk/
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Животные
I think my difficultest bird is the goldcrest. They are so tiny and lively. It makes it hard to film them. Very nice video of the bittern and the other birds. greets Stefan
Yes they are
I've only been photographing birds for a year or two. Recently I met some people who were trying to snap goldcrests. I'd never heard of them or seen them. A week later I was looking for dippers. None to be seen but a goldcrest hopped about on a small leafless tree and I got 2 good pics ! I too hear the cetti warblers at a site near me but haven't' seen one in 2 years.
Came to the comments and you beat me to it. Always in a dense fir tree when I see them and only stay still for a fraction of a second!
Even more than usual, Mike represents for me, a real birder. There are many genera of birds that are found in both North America and Europe. I wonder if this is because both land masses were once part of the same ancient continent of Laurasia? Your "Jack Snipe" is for all intents and purposes our Wilson's which was, until recently, consider conspecific with the Common Snipe of Europe. This bittern is quite a bit different looking from our American Bittern, but everything about it is same in habitat, behavior, and yes, elusiveness. It is one of the birds I've had the most difficulty seeing, much less photographing, along with another bird that inhabits the same basic type of watery, marshy environment, the Rail.
Jack snipe a bit smaller than Wilsons and Common snipe. I seem to remember you need to have Wilsons in the hand to ID it from a Common.
Reflecting upon the shyness of this heron, its predilection for hiding, utilizing its superlative camouflage, and its habit of moving little and holding that typical heads-up vertical pose, one could assume this has some evolutionary advantage; perhaps evading the detection by some predator. But what predator? I can't think of any predator that might have specialized on bitterns enough so that it would have created "pressure" on the bird's genome to evolve some of the habits mentioned; much less its very morphology!
Thanks very much. Wonderful fishing bird.
Thank you too
brilliant as usual vloggers watch how it should be done,so many are obsessed with the gear not the subject!!
Much appreciated!
I live in the Lauwersmeer area in the north of the Netherlands, with extensive reed-areas. I make waypoints for all the areas where I have had bittern-sightings. They are tricky to photograph there, but it is always a joy to find one. I am not too keen on hides, which doesn't make things easier.
Now that is a very flashy hide! I don't think I have seen such a good clear view of a Bittern's foot as this one shown in the video, it looks bigger and much stronger than I expected. The rarest bird I have photographed is the Amsterdam Albatross prior to that would have been the Black-backed Bittern. In Australia we have the Southern White-face but they are relatively easy to photograph.
Yes it is a grand hide. Even has a second level and toilets.
I tried to photograph a Cettis warbler for the better part of a decade. I have finally found a spot to photograph them, there are several pairs that show well on Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth. If you're lucky as well there are Bearded tits that live in the roadbed as well. Love the videos, keep them coming!
Great video Mike. Can't agree more regarding the most challenging birds to photograph. I see them all but rarely gain a decent shot of them. Regarding the Bittern, I live near the Lea Valley Discovery Centre and, to me, it feels like going to a zoo to capture a picture which is something i definately dont want to do. Lots or people, lots of noise and your not at one with the environment your just looking into it. I gain much greater satisfaction from finding a bird in more remote locations where you use your field craft to obtain a photograph without impacting the enviroment. Keep up the good work.
I saw a bittern several years ago while I was trying to photograph green herons in the reeds around The Pond. It was standing completely still with its head and neck extended straight up and blending in very well. Quite a find. And, I think I was as excited as you must have been when the bittern you were watching finally walked out on that log for a clear shot. Great capture, Mike. Looking forward to your next post.
Yes I get excited, but try not to as that is when I mess up.
Best footage of bittern I have seen, and very interesting commentary on them!
Thank you very much
You have some nice narrated videos there Mike, thx for sharing them
Welcome.
Another great video,Mike. I agree wrt the Cetti’s Warbler - I go regularly to RSPB Radipole and they are common there - you can hear their song very close to the path as you walk along but seeing them is difficult and getting them to sit still in the open to pose almost impossible. RSPB Ham Wall, Avalon Hide is another good place to see and photograph Bitterns. I had success on two or three occasions last year.
Thanks for the info.
Great footage. Looks like slowed down a bit. So relaxing.
It is
Fascinating footage of the Bittern! I encountered and photographed an American Bittern last fall quite by chance. They’re an uncommon sight here in Northern California, so I was thrilled to see such a furtive bird.
Super photography Mike.
Many thanks!
Thanks, Mike, for a lovely behavioural study of this amazing bird.
Many thanks!
Lee Valley only 25 miles from me haven't been there for a few years seems like it's very different now from your video will definitely go there soon. You got some great footage.
Glad you enjoyed it
I know that hide well Mike! Cracking stuff, I spent about 2 weeks here this winter shooting this gorgeous bird, a lovely spot to enjoy the wildlife!
I think Nigel Blake had his post redirected there.
Gratulation, sehr schöne Aufnahmen 👌
Thanks.
Thanks Mike👌
A Cetti's Warbler watches a Bittern swallowing a Jack Snipe, this is what I expected 🙂
Very nive footage one more time!
Glad you enjoyed it
Fantastic video Mike.
Many thanks!
Superb - thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent
Thank you! Cheers!
Great video MIke. Love the footage.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video Mike of this beautiful bird.
Glad you enjoyed it
good video Mike !!
Thanks.
Bonjour
de sublimes images, you are the Best
Thanks
Wonderful
Thank you
very interesting video! what about birds that are more or less only active during the night?
Brilliant stuff, Mike, greetings from Oz.
Many thanks!
Nice video Mike.❤👍
Thanks 👍
Thanks for sharing Mike. I've got one picture of a Bitton, many years ago in Rickmansworth Hertfordshire.
Thanks
Ham wall reserve is great for cettis
Lovely footage of the Bittern, worth the wait. I would add to the difficult to photograph list the Stone Curlew normally a distant speck here in the UK 🤔
Yes hard in the U.K., but in some parts of Europe a car window bird.
I've always found WWT's London Wetland Centre good for Bittern. Rarely as close as in this video though it has to be said. Also my best Cettii's picture was from there. That said I did used to live quite close and spent a lot of time there.
Great video Mike and excellent footage of the Bittern. My bogey species is the Common Crossbill. I've found flocks of them but they never seem to drink from any puddles or even feed lower down in the trees when I'm there with my camera! Been trying for several years (in the limited time I have) and still haven't got any keepers
When they do come down they are at least tame and take little notice of people.
I would like to add the Nightjar.
Yes not easy.
Goshawk.... apart from up here in Fochabers Scotland
Chris Reid hide I think.
Nice one mike i went to see this bittern got loads of stills of it
I am told it performed best when water frozen
@@MikeLaneFRPS it like sitting on the little wired fence it gave everyone brilliant views i went back last month it had gone i was told ill be sure to go back later in the year when it returns
As always another great breakfast watch. Always enjoyable and I especially liked this one. I actually thought on a couple of occasions that you were going to get the Bittern booming - but I guess that’s the next video😊.
My stereo mic packed up and a mono mic would not do it justice so I did not bother to film the booming!
@@MikeLaneFRPS Did it actually boom then? It certainly looked as if it was going to. As a by the by, we’re off to Majorca next month, where was the reserve you mentioned?
@@davidosborn3356 No it did not. I was joking. Stereo mic or not I would have filmed that.
S'Albufera Natural Park. I remember it has restricted opening hours and you have to pay, but I asked at the visitor centre for permission to enter early which was readily granted.
The tunnel through the trees is on the way to the Bishops Hide. This is where the Cettis and nightingale were.
Look at www.birdinginspain.com/sites-and-itineraries/mallorca/albufera/birding-in-the-albufera-natural-park-itinerary-2.html
@@MikeLaneFRPS Thanks Mike.
Lovely footage! I only once had the pleasure to come across a bittern out in the open, but it was very far away and it was getting dark.
One bird I find particularly hard to photograph is the woodcock. Never had any luck so far. Oh, and wrynecks. I hear them, I occasionally see one but they never seem to be where I could take a good photo... One day I'll get them, for sure ^^
I would like to do Woodcock roding.
@@MikeLaneFRPS Yes, that would be great!
definitely deliberately, not accidentally :) great video Mike, thanks !
Glad you liked it!
Nightjar would have to figure in this set and possibly more common than bittern.
Nightjar is not easy.
Hi Mike, great video as always!
Just wondering if you’ve ever been to the Algarve for bird photography? I’m heading to Albufeira on holiday in a couple of weeks time and hoping to do some photography whilst out there.
Yes I have been there. I can't remember any of the names of places. There are books on where to watch birds in the Algarve and I would have takem one with me and followed that. It was all car window photography. Sorry I can't be more specific. No one place stands out in my mem.ory
Lucky you, I didn't see the bittern when I was there despite only 30 mins away.. still not managing to see it yet..
I had failed days too.
You had better luck Mike on that day . We didn't do so well at Far Ings for bitterns. Stay safe Rodders.
Yes far ings barton lincolnshire is a good place to see a bitten .
Except when I am there.
Hola: aquí en España se le conoce como avetoro y la especie de menor tamaño avetorillo.saludos
I have yet to see this bird but while reading about it in our local history I came across an interesting fact. A few hundred years ago the locals used to call it “the beast of the lake” because of its call. Apparently it is so deep that the poor people would hear it and get scared. I don’t know if it’s just folklore or true but it certainly was interesting to read about. 😃
They certainly boom and it is a strange sound.
Also they sometimes call at night what makes it even scarier. Here in Spain it is called Avetoro (Bull bird translated) because of it's deep boom sounding like a bull. I had the chance to have one near me once while I was in the hide and it was calling and the sound did rumble inside my chest. It was quite impressive.
@@Markitosgm I hope one day to see it and hear its call 😃 so far I have only seen a little bittern and I don’t know if it makes similar sounds.
@@marieta.s Such a beautiful bird the little bittern! It makes in a way a similar sound, but not as powerful as the bittern. It makes a hoarse sound.
@@Markitosgm thank you for the information. Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to hear it call. Maybe in the future I will be able to hear it as well. 😃
If birds such as the Australian Ibis can learn to open rubbish bins, then removing a bit of weed is a doddle.
I think the ibis also eats cane toads but teasing them until they are all stressed out and then washing the venom off them/ Ravens eat the toads by flipping them over and penetrating the belly.
It took its time doing it. I had to edit out the wait.
Surely lesser-spotted woodpecker
My vote would go to Water Rail
A number of hides on nature reserves have easy Water rail. The Willow hide at Slimbridge had two this week within a few feet of the hide which has a low down window slot. Nice settings too.